Never Unwanted
by Ryunn Kazan
Summary: Rumplestiltskin is fed up with Belle babysitting the Charmings children night and day. Belle tells him the real reason behind the act of kindess.
1. Never Unwanted

Rumplestiltskin glared after Zelena as she smirked her way out of his shop, cooing a goodbye to her baby daughter as she let the door slam behind her, waking his own son who was asleep in his basinet behind the counter.

The Dark One cursed the wicked witch for waking his son, but felt a wave of relief the second he had the babe in his arms, his light weight and scent soothing the nausea in his stomach from having his former captor in his shop.

It had been a month since the Black Fairy's defeat. Storybrooke had entered an unnerving peaceful spell devoid of curses or new enemies. Many of the citizens who had been living each day waiting for the next crisis now had the opportunity to move forward, to travel and start families.

However, some things never changed. The second Gideon had been restored to his infant form the Charmings were back to shoving baby Neal back into Belle's arms, and Belle was more than willing to be their unpaid babysitter despite the threats they had made to Gideon when he was under the Black Fairy's control.

Quite frankly, it made Rumplestiltskin's blood boil each time the high and mighty Snow White would waltz into his shop, put her baby boy into Belle's arms with chirpy instructions and waltz out like Belle was her scullery maid. Did she really thing she was still a royal and that Belle was a submissive servant? If anything, Belle was above _her_ , considering _he_ was the one with the power and the status.

But, no matter whether Neal being dropped was planned or sudden, and no matter what plans he and Belle had, Belle was always there for the Charmings to drop their baby onto. Frankly the new father couldn't imagine ever wanting to just leave their child, even if it was only long enough to "help Emma pick out curtains for the bathroom" as Snow had given as her reason earlier.

But it was what it was, and really, it was a comforting site seeing the young Charming and Gideon side by side in their prams, giggling and playing together. Though his foreseeing abilities hadn't worked since the casting of the dark curse, he could see that the two boys would be good friends in the upcoming future.

It wasn't until a week after his mother's defeat that he realized Zelena's daughter might be the third member of their possible trio.

Zelena, sins apparently abolished, had begun to take after her indirect family in the treating-Belle-like-a-nursemaid department. She and Regina had begun taking sisterly trips together, which usually involved activities that infants couldn't and shouldn't be involved in, thus little Robyn had become an official member of the Gold Pawnshop/babysitting service.

Usually, Gold wasn't around to see Zelena come and go, thus he could tolerate the whole fiasco. But today, Zelena had decided to stick around the shop and "chat" with Belle, which really meant that she got to send Rumple evil looks while Belle wasn't looking.

It was in that moment that Rumple felt a surge of resentment, not just for the Charming's or Zelena, but for Belle as well, unfortunately. How could she let them treat her like this? She was smarter than this! She knew what they had done to her in the past—he made sure of that. More importantly, she knew what Zelena had done to them! She took Bae from them, and had yet to express any kind of remorse! And here she was with a baby, seeming to mock Bae's death with her existence! It was enough to make him crawl out of his skin.

Rumple knew good and well Belle admired the "heroes". Star-struck she was because she wanted to be just like them. He wished he could help her see that, though the Charmings had good hearts and good intentions, they were, well, selfish. They went to any lengths possible to get what they wanted, or "to do what was best for everyone" as they always justified.

It was a bit of a mixed, toxic message if Rumplestiltskin had to say so, one he hoped wouldn't be spread to the next generation.

"Hey." Belle whispered, pulling Rumple from his angry daze. "Are you okay? Gid's fussing in your arms."

Rumplestiltskin looked down at his squirming son and instantly cooed to sooth him.

"Sorry son." He whispered to the boy, laying him out in the playpen with his fellow infants. Neal was definitely bigger than the latter two, having a good month and a half on both. They were all healthy though, and the idea of the three of them having a future together was looking more and more plausible.

Which terrified the ever-living Hell out of him.

"Belle." Rumple whispered when she finished blanketing the children. "Can we talk for a moment?"

"Of course." Belle agreed almost too enthusiastically.

The couple hadn't had the chance to go to Archie's for therapy (which Rumplestiltskin partially blamed the Charming clan for), but they had started working on their communication skills. Though the wounds of the past were only now starting to scab, they had agreed to leave past events in the past and focus solely on the present and future. No secrets, no half-truths and whole lies. Just the truth, even if the truth was unsavory.

Belle led him to the back of the shop and waited patiently for him to state his case.

"Belle, I need to know," he began hesitantly, not wanting to insult her good-hearted nature but also wanting, if needed, to talk sense into her, "why do you keep doing this? Keep babysitting their children every time they ask?"

Belle's good-natured smile dimmed some, her stance hardening. "Because it's the right thing to do."

Rumplestiltskin caught the recited messaged of her tone.

"That…may be so sweetheart, but…" he paused to choose his words carefully. "It's not healthy. You have your own child and responsibilities and their expecting you to carry theirs. It's wrong Belle, on their part at least."

Belle nodded, not in agreement he could tell, but in reply to his words. He took it as a sign to continue, to go deeper into the issue.

"Belle, I know you admire the Charmings, and that you think that—that they **are** your friends," he had to pause to settle the vile threatening to rise on that lie. "and I know Zelena's a mother now and their you two are becoming…friends…but I—"

Belle shot up, staring down at him. Rumple cursed himself for…whatever he said to earn this reaction.

"Do you honestly think I'm doing this for _them_? After everything they've done to _us_? The blackmail, the way they've used me as a pawn against you? Threatening our son and calling it _bonding time_? You honestly believe I think those self-righteous hypocrites and that murdering _bitch_ are my _friends_?"

A coo from the pen caused Belle to pause her rant, her breathing steadying and heated cheeks cooling as she calmed.

"Then why do you do it?" Rumple inquired more quietly, both in shock and in awe that she'd refer to the Charmings in such a way.

"For _them_ Rumple." Belle cried, pointing a hand in the direction of the playpen where the three babes slept without the knowledge that their parents had a bloody history between each other.

"I've know quite a few royals in the past Rumple, friends with their children actually." Belle confided. "And one thing I've always seen is how their parents toss them to nurses and headmistresses until their old enough to begin their royal duties."

Rumple watched the tears well in her eyes. "Did your parents…"

"No." Belle confirmed with a hasty swipe to her eyes. "My parents were very much involved with my upbringing. I was lucky that their status didn't go to their heads. Neal and Robyn aren't that lucky. I don't want them to feel…unwanted."

Rumple closed his eyes for a moment, remembering a small boy who was abandoned by his papa for selfish purposes. If it were for the kindness for two spinsters, he would have truly been alone.

He wondered briefly if he had ever made Bae feel like that, and sent a silent prayer for forgiveness.

"They love them Belle." Rumple promised, taking his wife's hands. "They just…they just don't quite know how to be parents yet."

Belle nodded. It was hard to imagine it, but Snow White and David were technically new parents just like Zelena.

"I just hope they realize their errors soon. They should be spending these moments bonding, to make memories and trust. They almost lost that chance when they went to the Underworld. What if they had never come back? Don't they ever think about that? How can they just push their children aside?"

Rumple could feel her pulse racing through her wrists. "You're talking about you too, aren't you?"

Tears ran quietly down Belle's cheeks and Rumple pulled her into his arms.

"Tell me sweetheart."

"I abandoned him Rumple." Belle cried, the blunt of her sobs muffled by his jacket. "I sent our newborn son out into the world to grow up without us and we almost lost him."

Rumple rubbed her back, his heart breaking with each sob. "You were scared Belle, and I didn't make matters any better. You were doing what you thought best to protect him."

"But I didn't protect him. That bitch got him."

"But we got him back. He's asleep in his pen with Neal and Robyn. He's going to grow up with the best mother in the world."

Belle pulled from his chest. Smiling wetly at him. "And the best father."

Rumple nodded and seated her on the cot, handing her a handkerchief and waiting patiently for her to finish grieving before he pressed on with the subject.

"Do you really want to know what would have happened if the Charmings had never returned from the Underworld?"

Belle stared at him, horror and curiosity filling her eyes.

"You would have gone to the convent everyday just to feed and read to them. After a while you would have adopted them, and they would have grown up with you and Gideon and been happy and safe and loved."

New tears filled her eyes, these of joy that her husband thought that much of her. "You really think I would have done that?"

"I know you would have." He smiled, kissing her hand. "You're a natural born hero."

Belle shot forward and kissed him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Rumple instantly returned the gesture, holding her close but keeping his hands still lest their encounter became too passionate. They were supposed to be babysitting after all.

"No matter what happens with their parents," Rumple husked, rubbing Belle's cheek, "Neal and Robyn will always have a safe place to come to with us. We can always talk to their parents if you like. And, maybe slip them a flier to Ashely Boyd's daycare?"

Belle giggled with a nod. "I think that might help. Maybe they just need to have their eyes opened."

A gentle cry came from the crib, signaling the awakening of one of the babes.

"Speaking of eyes opening." Rumple smiled. "We better see to that before the other two wake."

Belle nodded and went back to the pen to see to the fussy babe: Gideon.

Rumple smiled as she soothed their son. She had always had the fire of a mother in her heart.. She already loved Neal and Robyn like her own and, with time, he hoped he would too.

They were to be his son's friends after all.


	2. Never Unwanted: The Confrontion

Belle decided to talk to the Charmings later that evening (half an hour after they were due to pick up their children). Naturally, neither Snow nor Zelena saw the harm in their late entry, though David at least had the decency to apologize.

However, they did see a huge problem with seeing Rumplestiltskin rocking a fussy Neal as he emerged from the back room.

"Give me my baby." Snow snarled, all but snatching the babe from the Dark One's arms.

"Glad you can still tell which one is yours." Rumple growled back.

The former princess glared at him, adjusting Neal on her shoulder before turning to Belle with betrayal in her eyes.

"I hope you've been watching him." Zelena remarked. "Wouldn't want my daughter to pick up any nasty habits."

Belle held her tongue, knowing if she snapped on the witch that it could end with her never seeing Robyn again.

"I need to talk to both of you." She said instead. "Will you follow me to the back?"

Snow and Zelena shared a look before Snow passed Neal to her husband and followed Belle into the back room, Zelena following half-heartedly.

Belle took a deep breath and turned to the two new mothers.

"You both know I have absolutely no problem watching Neal or Robyn," she began.

"Oh gods, here we go." Zelena scoffed with an eyeroll.

"Zelena," Snow quietly chastised her, turning a patience smile—not unlike one she'd give to a student—to Belle.

"But," Belle continued calmly, "I'm not their babysitter. And you both should be using this time to bond with them."

"Oh, and you know so much about a baby's psychology in the five minutes you've been a mother?" Zelena inquired.

Belle's jaw tightened at the sight of Zelena's sharp, sarcastic smile.

"I think I know just as much as you." Belle fired back. "You've been a mother only a bit longer than I."

Luckily, that dulled the red-head's grin some, and Belle could continue.

"Look, we're all new mothers to our babies, so we all should help each other." Belle said. "I will gladly look after Neal and Robyn, but only when it doesn't inconvenience my time with my son."

Zelena rolled her eyes, and Snow looked just as annoyed. However, the former princess nodded her consent which Belle acknowledged with a thankful smile.

"I'll be sure not to bother you and your _spawn_ anymore." Zelena hissed.

Belle's nostrils flared and she stepped up to Zelena, the half a foot of lost height hardly deterring her.

"Watch it."

"Or what," Zelena laughed. "You'll suspend my library card?"

"Enough," Snow intervened with the air of a teacher, turning a patient smile to Belle.

"It's obvious you're a bit overwhelmed, Belle." Snow cooed. "It's our fault for expecting so much of you."

Belle bristled, Snow's claim more charring than Zelena's insult.

"I am not overwhelmed," Belle growled loudly. "I'm concerned with your relationship with your children. A year from now when Neal is calling me "Mama", I don't want you coming after me with a bow and arrow!"

Snow's immaculate eyebrows bowed in a glare. "That will never happen."

"Maybe it will, maybe it won't." Belle shrugged. "That's entirely depends on what you do from here on out."

Snow's lip shook, but she retracted any comment she was about to make and turned sharply on her heel, Zelena following with a twisted smirk.

Belle remained in the back room as forced goodbyes were said, her heart clenching when she heard Robyn's familiar cry begin to pick up. As soon as the bell above the door rang and the shop went quiet, Belle picked up a book Rumplestiltskin had been refurbishing for the library and hurled it across the shop. Seeing the pages of the book fly dulled the angry fire in her stomach for only a moment, regret instantly swallowing her. Her husband had worked all evening on that book for her, and in a quick moment she had destroyed all he had accomplished.

The metaphor mirrored her situation with Neal and Robyn perfectly: her verbal lashing could be the reason she never got to see or hold the babes ever again.

She tried to still her bitter tears as she carefully gathered the pages, hugging them to her chest in a strange sort of apology.

An additional pair of hand joined her a moment later, stopping her hasty hand as it trembled.

"Sweetheart…"

Belle sobbed, dropping the papers and falling into her husband's awaiting arms.

"It's okay." he cooed, rubbing her trembling back.

"Oh Rumple," Belle cried, holding her head as exhaustion threatened to swallow her whole. "I think I really messed up."

The Dark One looked at the mess of pages around them. "To be fair, I think I may have glued some of those out of order."

Belle chuckled weakly, pulling away from his comforting chest to look at him. "You know what I mean."

"I know what you mean." He nodded. "And I don't want you to worry a moment more about it. Everything will work out for the best."

"And just how do you know that?" Belle sighed.

"Because David can soften his wife better than you can me, and Zelena likes to drink with her sister on Friday nights. They'll want your help, even if they refuse to believe that they need it."

Belle scoffed, but his words comforted her, though the dull headache she felt did not subside.

"Maybe Snow is right. Maybe I am overwhelmed."

"I think her royal highness needs to learn not to underestimate you." Rumple said defensively. "I know I did."

Belle smiled and kissed him softly. "Thank you."

"It's my honor, Mrs. Gold." He replied, helping her to her feet. "Not let's get you and the babe home. I think you're both overdue for a nap."

Belle popped his arm playfully before curling her own into his.

When they reached the Gold home, Rumple looked back to see his infant son fast asleep in his car seat. A glance at his wife let him discover that his wife was in the same, comfortable state.


	3. Paralyzing Predicament

Rumplestiltskin was used to invasive calls at all times of the day. It was one of the more annoying clauses of being the Dark One.

Before he became a husband and father to a cankerous infant who sleft in 40-minute intervals, he wouldn't have minded these late-night hurrahs. However, when these unexpected visits came at two in the morning and woke his wife and son, that's when threats were guaranteed and carried through.

"I'll get Gideon, you find out who the bloody hell is at the door at this time of night." Belle murmured as she sleepily put on her bedroom slippers.

"Yes dear." Rumple agreed, pulling on his robe.

"And honey?"

Rumple paused at the door.

"No magic."

Rumple's jaw clenched, his villainous plan to turn whoever the hell was trying to break their doorbell into a weasel faulted by his clever wife.

"Yes dear."

"Or violence." Belle added.

Damn.

"Yes dear." Rumplestiltskin agreed again, leaving the room before Belle could add anything else to her list of demands.

His ears rang as whoever was at the door continued to ring the doorbell, their tactics for entry now including pounding on the door and jimmying the knob. It wasn't until the Dark One heard the wail of a baby that he rushed to open the door.

The site before him would be a minor, but overall defining change to the Gold's life and those who were indirectly and directly involved.

"What did you do!"

Rumple studied the pajama-clothed, frizzy-haired witch before him, his heart skipping a panicked beat before he reminded himself that she couldn't hurt him anymore. His eyes lowered to the squalling, blanketed infant in her arms and the panic resurfaced.

He needed Belle. Belle would know what to do.

His breath caught when Zelena barged into the sanctity of his home, her daughter's cries piercing the air. Before he could close the door Regina stepped in, giving him an apologetic frown before she eased into his living room, Emma tiredly trailing in behind her.

"What is going on?" he asked as he closed the door.

"Look!" Zelena shrilled as she carefully laid her daughter down on the nearest soft surface and tore off the blanket protecting the babe from the cold.

Rumple reached over and turned on a lamp. Even Dark Ones couldn't see in the dark after all.

"It happened about an hour ago." Regina explained. "I tried to reverse it but…but we're not even sure what's happening."

He wasn't sure what he was looking for at first. Robyn was clothed only in a diaper and he felt the parental urge to recover her. Then his eyes settled on her motionless, discolored legs.

They weren't twitching, weren't making the slightest movement of all.

Then a light chill went up his spine when he sensed the twinge of magic radiating off of her.

"Rumple?"

The Dark One and company turned to see Belle coming down the stairs, a cooing Gideon tucked safe in her arms.

"What's going on?"

"I'll tell you what's going on!" Zelena burst, the high sound causing both babies to stir. "Your husband traumatized my daughter!"

"Zelena," Regina growled. "You swore you weren't going to do this."

Belle quickly put Gideon in the pram they kept downstairs and ran over to the Robyn, her eyes burning with the same motherly concern they would have for her own son.

"Don't!" Zelena raged, her voice breaking with a sob.

"Zelena please," Belle begged. "Let me see what I can do."

"There's nothing _you_ can do." Zelena spat. "Just your husband." She turned to the Dark One, trying to put on a fierce look despite the tears running down her cheeks. "Fix this!"

"First off, dearie," Rumplestiltskin snarled lowly. "Keep your voice down. You're scaring the children. I can't fix it because I had nothing to do with it." He glanced at Emma who gave him an odd look in return.

"Fix what?" Belle begged. "What's wrong with Robyn?"

"She's…she's…" Zelena sputtered as she tried to get her words together. "Her legs are…dead!"

Belle looked at the 2-month old legs. Indeed, they were limp and a horrid puce color that made Belle's stomach turn. The full blunt of the situation was made clear when Robyn's upper body squirmed with discomfort but her lower did not.

"He did this to my baby!" Zelena cried.

"I did nothing." Rumple snarled.

"Oh please, you did this out of pathetic spite over _Neal_." Zelena scoffed.

Rumple did not respond for a long time, but his eyes said everything he was feeling.

"Zelena, stop." Belle stated firmly but gently enough to calm the room. "Let him help."

Rumplestiltskin looked into his wife's eyes, looking for doubt.

"I didn't do this to her Belle." he stated firmly, ignoring Zelena's scoff of denial. "But I'm going to find out who did."

"Maybe you should try looking in the mirror." Zelena spat.

"Do you want to sit here and argue about this all night or do you want to find out what is wrong with your daughter?"

Zelena opened her mouth to respond, but quickly closed it when the well-being of her daughter was put into question.

Rumplestiltskin gave a small thanks for her functioning parental instincts before turning back to the babe, his hands hovering over her discolored legs.

"Keep your hands where I can see them." Zelena warned sharply.

"Zelena for god's sake." Regina groaned.

Rumplestiltskin clenched his jaw and continued, using his magic to search for a barrier of some sort.

"Are you certain that she didn't just sleep wrong?" Belle asked as she stepped closer, a hand covering her heart.

Zelena turned a hard glare to Belle. "Why don't we put your son on his back and test that theory?"

Rumplestiltskin shot around, grabbing Zelena roughly by the shoulder.

"Don't you _fucking_ dare threaten my son."

"Or what?" Zelena laughed. "You'll kill me? How charming."

Rumplestiltskin gnashed his teeth, his hand shaking.

Before Zelena could continue or Regina could step in, Belle grabbed the witch's opposite shoulder, spinning her to her.

"If you threaten my son, **I** will kill you." Belle stated, voice fierce and eyes hard as diamonds.

Zelena stared down at Belle, the usually hilarious six-inch difference between them now condescending now that Belle looked ready to dig her teeth into the witch's throat. It made Zelena hold her tongue, but she rolled her eyes to demonstrate that she would have the last word.

"You have every right to be stressed about this," Regina stated as she stepped between the women at last. "However, if you want their help—which you've come for—you are going to need to calm down and be quiet so that Rumple can work."

Zelena gulped, her eyes glassing over again. "Fix the problem he caused you mean."

"He didn't do this Zelena," Belle sighed. "Unlike some people, he's not petty enough to go after his enemies' children to get even with them." She turned her back on the witch before she could respond, keeping her eyes on Robyn to remind herself to keep her temper.

The babe cooed up at the Dark One, seeming not to be in pain despite her predicament. Belle managed a small smile when Rumple hummed a light tune to keep her calm. When his fingers trailed back over the center of her spine, he paused, his eyebrows bowing down in question. Then, his eyes widened and he took in a sharp breath.

"I found it."

The women in the room mashed themselves to his side.

"What did you find?" Belle gasped.

"This is a slow-reacting spell that has finally matured, indeed an act of dark magic." Rumplestiltskin confirmed solemnly.

"Is that an admission of guilt?" Zelena snarled.

"Zelena." Regina warned again, turning to her former mentor. "Who's magic? Is it her own or…"

Rumplestiltskin shook his head. "Children who are born of magic wielders don't have a moral code. That developer with time and decisions. This came from someone else, someone who was wielding immensely dark magic."

" _Was?"_ Belle inquired.

Zelena shook her head, trying to wrap her head around that Dark One wasn't the culprit.

"Who would want to curse my baby?" Zelena cried. "She…she's innocent. She hasn't had the chance to do anything."

Belle carefully placed a comforting hand on the witch's shoulder and Rumplestiltskin looked on in pity. Despite his misgivings towards the witch, it was obvious that she loved her daughter dearly and was willing to one-up with the Dark One and his wife for her.

Rumplestiltskin admitted. turned to the savior, and her eyes widened as he sought answers from her. "Why don't we ask her."

"But…I…no." Emma denied, looking at Rumplestiltskin, then at Zelena who shook her head in disbelief, and finally at Regina who looked torn between defending her friend and consoling her sister.

"All magic comes with a price." Rumplestiltskin muttered, reaching over to re-blanket Robyn.

"I gave birth to my daughter in under ten minutes." Zelena spat. "I paid the price for that spell."

"True, but Robyn was the target of the spell, not you." Rumplestiltskin explained. "Being brought to full term in a matter of minutes would certain affect some sort of development."

"NO!" Zelena shrieked loudly. "No! This is not happening! You have to fix this!"

"I would if it were possible, Zelena." Rumplestiltskin stated firmly. "Robyn's paid the price for this curse. Severing that contract could make things much worse for her. We can't risk it."

Zelena turned to Emma, her eyes fierce. "You're the savior. You have light magic surely you can…do something!"

"I…I tried Zelena. That's why we brought her here…"

Zelena scoffed, her hands shaking. "Worthless, all of you!"

"Zelena, breath." Regina said, jumping back when Zelena slung her arm from her grip.

"What am I supposed to do?" Zelena yelled. "What quality of life is she going to have if she can't walk?"

Rumplestiltskin didn't respond. Both of his children were healthy, and thus he had no idea what Robyn's life would be like.

"Robyn will have the same life any other child." Belle promised soothingly. "We can get her a wheelchair, we'll build her a ramp on our houses. We'll do anything to make you both comfortable."

" _Our_ houses?" Zelena said as she gathered her baby, her green eyes baring into Belle's. "I won't be bringing my baby back here."

Belle blinked, the words slowly seeping into her brain, crushing her.

"Don't…Zelena…I…we can still help."

The wicked witched smirked. She may not be able to harm the Dark One any more, but she could still get a jab in at his wife.

"If your husband can undo a simple spell, I doubt _you_ can be of any greater help. I don't want either of you or your spawn near her again."

"Stop with the pointless threats, Zelena." Regina warned, but her sister barreled past her.

"Zelena no, please…" Belle began to sob, her husband clasping her shoulders to hold her together. The last thing she saw before tears took over her vision were the clear pools of Robyn's eyes and the door closing on them.

Belle covered her mouth to muffle her cries, feeling safe to release them only when her husband turned her into his chest.

"Don't listen to her Belle." Regina soothed. "She's hysterical. I'll talk to her about this in the morning and I'll get her to forget that nonsense.

Belle nodded as Regina went after her, Emma lingering behind, unsure of what to do.

"There's really nothing you can do?"

"Not without making the situation worse." Rumplestiltskin stated, glancing at his wife. He held his breath when she saw the anguish in her eyes.

"I don't believe it." Emma denied, shaking her head. "You're just giving up, I'm not going to do that. I'll find something to fix this."

"Miss Swan," Rumplestiltskin sighed, wanting her out of his house. "No amount of magic you perform can undo what you've done. You cast a dark spell for selfish reasons and now you have to deal with those consequences."

"I was trying to save Killian!" Emma protested.

"No, you were trying to cover up the mistake you made with him!"

"Before anyone else could get hurt!"

"And you honestly think Zelena wouldn't have done the same?" Rumplestiltskin scoffed. "Or what about Robyn? You think she wouldn't have wanted revenge later if you had made her an orphan?"

"Stop!" Belle yelled over them, Gideon's cries picking up. "It doesn't matter who's fault this is or why Emma did what she did. What matters now is that we ban together and help Robyn every way we can. We'll keep looking for a cure, but until then we handle this the way anyone else would."

Emma gulped, her guilt shining bright in her tired eyes.

Rumplestiltskin nodded and pointed to the door.

"We'll discuss all of this in the morning. For now, please go home, Miss Swan."

Emma nodded, making a curt line to the door.

Rumplestiltskin locked it tight behind her, vowing repercussions on anyone else who dared disturb them again. He turned to his wife and notice that she was wiping frustrated tears from her eyes. He went to her and took her into his arms again.

"It's okay Belle." He whispered into her hair. "We'll see Robyn again in no time."

Belle nodded, turning her head so that her cheek was resting on his shoulder. She was able to look at her son now, fast asleep in his pram. The site lifted her spirits slightly and she willed herself to pull herself together.

Rumplestiltskin watched as his wife picked up their baby and carried him upstairs. Part of him wanted to go after Zelena and demand she apologize to Belle for her pointless, cruel declaration. However, he reminded himself that despite how much he despised Zelena, she and him were finally on the same level. She was a scared parent and was lashing out. Once she calmed, or once a solution to her magical predicament was found, he would talk to her about relinquishing her threat.

For now he'd comfort his wife and insist she go back to bed. She'd need her rest to deal with the fallout during the daylight, as well as in the future.

-,-,-,-,-,-

For once it wasn't Gideon's hungry wail that woke Belle three days later, but rather an insistent, ongoing pounding. Belle fought with her need to go back to sleep and sat up, noticing instantly that her husband was not warming the blankets beside her.

The banging continued, and Belle got out of bed with a groan, stalking over to the window to address the annoying noise. It took her a moment to blink the sleep out of her eyes to understand what she was seeing. There were three blurry figures in her yard, surrounded by what appeared to be smudges of brown. Shaking her head, Belle adorned her robe and made her way to the nursery, noticing that her baby was not in his crib.

She discovered when she reached the living room that the noise was coming from the porch, something that made Belle both curious and concerned. She opened the door carefully and was surprised to see Geppetto and August Booth measuring boards of wood on her lawn.

"Belle?"

The woman in question turned to see her husband on the porch, their son cooing in his pram. As Belle approached closer, she released as joyful cry at the site of Robyn wrapped securely in her own.

"Robyn!" Belle gushed, turning to her husband. "How…"

Rumplestiltskin smiled secretly. "Dr. Whale gave Zelena a few brochures about how to care for a disabled child. One of them contained information on a learning session taking place in Boston this weekend. I suggested that perhaps it would be easier for them to attend if they found someone to look after the baby…and here we are."

"Indeed." Belle grinned, giving her husband a series of kisses on his cheek. He laughed and eased her to his side, encouraging her to curl into him.

"What's with all this?" Belle inquired, pointing to the miniature construction site in their front yard.

"Well, you did say that we could build a ramp on our porch for Robyn, so I'm doing just that."

Belle gasped, assessing the construction more thoroughly. "Oh Rumple…I can't believe you'd do all this for her."

Rumple glanced at his wife, then at their son and Robyn. While he may never be able to get over his own issues with Zelena, he didn't want to look at her daughter as anything but her own person. Belle looked at the child as her own, and perhaps he could see her as that as well.

"I'll do anything for my family." Rumplestiltskin stated simply, not needing to mention that Robyn was part of their family now.


	4. Magical Mishap

Gideon wanted to be a hero, plain and simple.

Since he was old enough to comprehend the words his parents recited from his storybooks, he wanted to be one.

Sometimes he would pretend to be like the ones in his books. Neal and Robyn, who more or less lived a second life in his home or in the sanctuary of his mother's library, would play along and the roles would switch daily.

The day Alex Boyer—the preschool bully and, in the mind of the four-and-a-half-year-old, Gideon's worst enemy—pushed Gideon and his friends to the last straw, Gideon truly tried to be a hero.

It was a normal day, as it had been for the past three months since they had started kindergarten. Because Robyn couldn't walk, she couldn't do the thing Gideon and Neal would usually like to do, like swing or play on the slide. However, they spent their earliest years using their wits and imaginations to play together, so doing so in a different environment wasn't much of a stretch.

They were playing in the sandbox, a slow and not too exhausting task that involved itchy legs and grit-filled shoes afterwards, but it was still something they could all do together.

They were having a great time until Alex Boyer came along to cause trouble.

Alex always reminded Gideon of an angry pig due to his thick nose and boorish attitude. He was a typical bully, and Gideon's parents said that meant he should always try to be nice to him.

"Sometimes mean people just need a bit of love," she would say with a wink his father's way. "It always works."

However, to Gideon's young mind, he didn't think Alex wanted to be friends. He was always taking Neal's cookies at snack time and refused to help clean up after play time. Not to mention he was always calling Robyn really dumb names. The names weren't creative nor very hurtful, but they were a jab that made his friend feel just a bit more outcasted from the other children, and Gideon did not want to be friends with someone like that.

Neal groaned when Alex approached, knowing good and well their calm break was about to be over. They had complained to the teacher before, but the young, fairly inexperienced women waved it off as play and had yet to deal with him.

"What are you weirdos doing?" he inquired cruelly, jumping into the box and causing their sculptures to collapse.

"What does it look like?" Robyn growled.

"Zip it wheel chair." He responded.

"Alex, go away." Neal warned him calmly, the aire of a leader in his tone.

"You don't own the sandbox, Nolan." Alex fought, kicking the bucked in Neal's hands away.

Gideon glanced nervously around for one of the teachers, noticing instantly that they were busy with another student. She wouldn't be coming to save them after all. He felt Neal moved and turned around just in time to see him standing to Alex's height.

"Leave us alone." Neal warned calmly. "You do this all the time and it's not funny. If you want to play that's fine but stop calling us names and kicking away our stuff."

"Stop calling us names!" Alex mocked.

"Cut it out!" Robyn yelled from the ground.

"I'm not talking to you wheel chair!" Alex yelled, kicking a wave of sand into Robyn's face.

Gideon felt his whole body run cold at the site of Robyn arching down and shouting out in distress. For a moment the world around him seemed to slow, the only thing in focus was Neal's panicked expression as he knelt to help Robyn rub sand out of her eyes.

The young Gold turned up to his friends' tormentor. The piggish boy was actually smiling about what he had just done, as if he somehow thought he was going to get away with his cruel actions.

A thick heat began to thaw his shock, filling him with a familiar tingling sensation that he instantly recognized.

He wasn't allowed to use magic outside of the house; that was rule one in the Gold family rulebook.

But Gideon knew—or at least his father always said—that some rules could be broken when circumstances called for them.

And this situation certainly called for a bit of rule-breaking.

He jumped up, sand trailing down his corduroys as magic sparked through his small fingers.

Just as Alex turned his way, Gideon held his hand up to the boy's face, the idea of just what he wanted to do to him running though his mind.

When the bully shouted out in shock, Gideon knew his spell had worked, but a new fear set in. He had never used magic like that before, and he only wanted to make Alex stop, not hurt him.

The bully dropped his hands from his face and revealed the effects of Gideon's spell: Alex's face was covered in boils, his nose as puckered as a pig's—in fact, that's exactly what Gideon had done.

Alex acted like a pig, and that's just what Gideon had turned him into.

The other children soon noticed the commotion and watched in astonishment as their classmate panicked over his sudden change in appearance. Most, not realizing the full intensity of the situation, were laughing at him.

Gideon glanced down at Neal and Robyn. They had recovered from Alex's cruelty quickly and were now struggling not to laugh at how their rival's downfall. They couldn't hold back any longer when the boy went squealing into the school for help, and soon Gideon was laughing too.

For a moment, he was one among his peers, a true hero in their eyes like the heroes his parents about read to him. He had used his powers to help his friends and teach Alex Boyer a lesson once and for all. He felt like—he had stopped evil in its tracks and now everyone could live at peace.

Or at least they were going to until the stern, tight-haired principal came bounding out, her hard eyes finding Gideon instantly.

"Gideon Gold!"

"Uh oh." Neal whispered.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Half an hour later Gideon he was sitting in the principal's office between his parents as she gave them all the third degree. Beside them were Alex, his face restored to its original form by Gideon's father, and Alex's grandmother, a stout but glassy-eyed women who didn't seem to know quite where she was.

"We don't tolerate bullying of any sort at this school," the principal explained.

"If magic was involved, it must have been an accident," Mr. Gold tried to explain. "The spell is undone now and there shouldn't be any lasting damage."

"And we'll pay the cost for any…lasting effects." Belle added.

Gideon sighed as his parents and the principal continued. He was going to get additional lecture from his parents when he got home, but he was glad Alex was finally getting reprimanded for his wrongdoings.

"And because of that, I'm going to have to suspend Gideon for the rest of the semester."

The principal's proclamation brought Gideon from his musings.

"What does suspend mean?" Gideon asked. He felt like he may have read the word in one of his books, but he couldn't be sure.

"It means, young man, that you won't be allowed back here for the rest of the year." The principal explained before his parents could.

"What!" the little boy exclaimed. "What about Alex?"

"Alex, of course, will get the help he needs because of your stunt, and will continue here." The principal continued.

"That's not fair!" Gideon exploded. "He hurt Robyn and Neal! He's been hurting them for weeks and no one was doing anything about it."

"He what?" Belle gasped, glancing at the boy who was now smothered in his grandmother's side.

"He's been calling Robyn names and taking Neal's things! He hurts the other kids too!"

"If that's the case, Gideon than you should have told the teacher or me." The principal pointed out.

Gideon groaned irritably. He could feel that tingling again, only this time it felt like it was trying to spread past his controlled fingertips.

"Gideon," his father whispered. "It's okay."

The gentle statement from his father soothed Gideon's agitation enough for the magic to die down.

"Regardless, I can't allow Gideon to continue here." The principal continued with an air of finality. "If he did this to one student, I don't want to begin to imagine what he could do to another if he felt provoked."

"That will not happen," Belle tried to assure. "Give us the weekend to help him understand the error of his ways."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Gold, but it's for the safety of our other students."

When the principal remained silent, Mr. Gold stood and held out his hand for his son.

"Come on Gideon, it's time to go home."

Gideon restrained angry tears as he took his father's hand. This wasn't fair! Heroes weren't supposed to get punished when they did the right thing! The villain was supposed to be defeated and the world was supposed to be better for it! That was how the story was always told!

He glanced back at Alex and glared at him as he turned from grandmother's side and stuck his tongue out.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The next morning Gideon awoke on his own accord, the bitterness he had felt from the day before still as new, even with the smell of his mother's pancakes reaching his nose.

A soft but familiar knock echoed through the room, and Gideon threw the covers over his head just as his dad walked in.

"Hey Gid," Rumplestiltskin greeted as he took a seat behind the lump of blankets. "How about you get up son?"

Gideon tightened into a ball. He didn't want to get up. Didn't want to talk about yesterday.

Rumplestiltskin sighed. He always knew the day would come when he'd have to lecture Gideon about the use of his powers, but he always thought the talk would come when the boy was much older, and not so soft and innocent to the world.

However, Gideon wasn't like most children, magical or not. He had history with magic in his past life, and if he let this one incident go unchecked, it could stir but bad memories and habits that would follow him into adulthood.

"Gid, I want you to know that your mom and I are very proud that you stuck up for your friends yesterday," he smiled slightly when Gideon loosened under the covers. "But you have to understand that there are times when you just can't use your powers."

"Even when someone's being hurt?" Gideon grumbled. "When you tell the people who are supposed to help but they don't."

Rumplestiltskin shrugged. "You got me there."

"I didn't want to do it, Papa," Gideon muttered, squeezing the corner of his pillow. "I just wanted him to leave us alone. I just…wanted to be a hero"

"I know, m'boy," Rumplestiltskin agreed. "I know what it's like to want to protect the people you love with every fiber of your being. But sometimes magic isn't the answer."

Gideon didn't answer. The boy was too young to comprehend just why what he did was so wrong, even if he understood that what it had certain consequences.

"People like us," Rumplestiltskin said as he soothed the boy's hair. "We have a special ability to help people. But, even when we don't mean to, we can hurt them too."

Gideon sniffled as his response.

"And sometimes being a hero means letting the villain walk away," Rumplestiltskin explained. "Because sometimes when you see them again, they want help," The Dark One smiled when his son smiled in agreement, and helped him sit up. "So how about after breakfast, we go over to Alex's house and apologize."

Gideon made a face.

"He knows to be nicer to you, so how about we give him the benefit of the doubt?"

Gideon released a great sigh. "Fine." He bounced off the bed and followed his dad down the stairs.

"But I still wish I could have turned him into a **real** pig!" he muttered naughtily.


	5. Baby Bump

Note: I write these stories as ideas come to me, so their coming to be out of order. Of course I label them as I post them, but understandable a lot of readers like them chronologically.

If you want to read them in order, please visit my A03 page: RyunnKazan.

-,-,-

Like most children, Gideon Gold spared a thought of what his life would be like with a younger sibling. He supposed he would have liked to have someone to yell at to get out of his room or barter with to do the household chores. Someone to roll his eyes at and then bond with when they were late teenagers.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, he never had a sibling to have those experiences with. He had his parents undivided attention, his friends, and plenty of dogs throughout his childhood and thus had never had the time to be lonely.

He never knew exactly why his parents never had another child. He did know the numerous times he walked in on his parents during their more intimate moments that is wasn't for lack of trying or lack of affection of each other. It just never happened, nor did his parents ever mentioned that they wanted another baby.

Thus, when his parents sat him down and told him with glowing smiles that he was going to be a big brother, Gideon was understandably a bit confused.

"I'm sorry, what?" The fourteen-year-old inquired when his parents gave him the news.

"We're having a baby Gideon!" Belle gleamed. She turned to her husband and grasped his hand excitedly. "We're going to be parents again Rumple!"

Rumplestiltskin nodded and kissed his wife's hand, tears of joy shining in his glassy eyes.

"…again?" Gideon muttered.

"What was that dear?" Belle inquired with a brilliant smile.

Gideon stood slowly, trying to wrap his head around exactly what was happening. His parents were having another baby. He had just graced into his teenage years and now he was about to be an older sibling to a kid he had accepted would never exist.

He couldn't quite comprehend how he felt. He wasn't angry per say; he wasn't five after all. But he was a bit peeved.

"Mom," Gideon sighed aggravatedly. "you can't have this baby."

Belle's joyful giggles stilled and she stared at her son patiently, expecting something equivalent to this reaction. Rumplestiltskin's expression didn't quite match.

"What do you mean dear?"

"You can't have a baby mom!" Gideon scoffed. "I'm fourteen! People are going to think it's mine!"

Belle laughed while Rumplestiltskin crossed his arms in disapproval.

"I'm sure once my belly comes in people are going to be able to tell who's pregnant." Belle assured.

"Oh come on mom!" Gideon exclaimed.

"Gideon," Rumplestiltskin growled lowly, "Do not raise your voice at your mother-"

"Rumple, stop."

Belle's gentle hand stopped the former Dark One from starting a fight with their son. Rumple was usually very lenient with Gideon, but one thing he never stood for was getting an attitude with his mother, though Belle would usually wave it off as teenage hormones.

"I'm going out." Gideon announced as he snatched his sweater from the back of the couch.

"Gideon!" Rumple called after his son as he charged out the door.

"Let him go Rumple," Belle soothed after the door slammed. "He needs time to process this."

Rumple frowned, leading Belle to the couch and helping her put her feet up. She was barely out of her first trimester and her feet were already swelling.

"I hate fighting with him," Rumple confided as he fluffed her pillows.

"He has your temper." Belle mused with a teasing smile.

"And your ability to forgive." Rumple added as he sat at the end of the couch and put her feet in his lap. "Do you think he's jealous or…"

Belle shrugged. "I wish I knew just what he was feeling. I was an only child myself."

"Aye." Rumple nodded in agreement. As far as he knew, Gideon was going to be a first-generation sibling of the Gold family.

"If he's not back by curfew, will you go check on him?" Belle yawned as her body loosened with tiredness.

"Of course dear." Rumple said as he rubbed her leg, waiting until her eyes closed before he dropped his smile and allowed himself to truly worry about their son.

-,-,-,-

Seeing the faint orange glow from the clocktower indicated that Neal and Robyn had gotten his message and had already put a fire on.

Ever since they were kids, the clocktower had been the trio's meeting place whenever things at their respected homes got complicated. Usually they met up when Robyn's mother was pushing her buttons, or when Neal's mother was smothering him indefinitely and the teenagers needed the three S's: smores, sanctuary, and something-equivalent to sisterhood (Robyn's words, not his).

Honestly, Gideon couldn't remember the last time the three of them met up for his sake. His relationship with his parents was overall ideal; they were firm but not overly-discipling. Robyn had once called them "hippies", but Gideon had reminded her that his parents were never seen in public without expensive suits and heels on. Hippies indeed.

Gideon could be free around his parents, something that Robyn and Neal couldn't always be around theirs. Robyn's mother kept secrets from her, little tidbits of her past that Robyn had to beg from her aunt Regina, and Neal's parents had never quite gotten over the trauma with Emma and thus stayed a little too close to him, studying his every mood.

Though their families disapproved, the Gold's were their second home, but a magical house didn't keep secrets like the ancient clocktower.

Gideon found Robyn poking at the little fire she had started in the tin drum while Neal was lounging against the old couch Gideon had magicked from the abandoned apartment last summer.

"Took you long enough," he greeted, her eyes glued to her cellphone.

Gideon threw the bag of smores to Robyn and lifted Neal's legs off the end of the couch so that he could sit.

"What's with the frown?" Neal asked the second he turned to Gideon. His comment caused Robyn to look up, her eyebrows drawn down in concern.

"Mom's pregnant." Gideon said. No use dancing around the subject.

"Say WHAT?" Neal exclaimed, sitting up and crossing her legs.

Robyn quickly roller her way to the couch and pushed Neal to the end of the couch, getting between her and Gideon.

"Details!" she demanded as Neal glared at her.

"You want my details of how my parents are still doing it?" Gideon deadpanned.

"My parents still do it." Neal muttered, his eyes haunted.

"My mom still does it…alone." Robyn added with a shrug.

"Oh, come on Rob!" Gideon gagged.

"That's sick!" Neal added.

"Oh grow up, both of you!" Robyn scoffed.

"I don't even want smores anymore," Neal gagged.

"Any way," Gideon moaned, falling back on the couch, "I don't know how to feel."

"About your parents still doing it?" Robyn snorted.

"Shut UP!" Neal groaned.

"About them having another baby!" Gideon spat. "My gods…"

Robyn finally quit laughing and slid closer to him. "You're not jealous or something, are you?"

"I-I don't know," Gideon admitted. Honestly, he couldn't pinpoint why he was feeling so odd about the prospect of another sibling. He wasn't foolish enough to think that their birth would somehow steal his parents love. It just didn't sit well with him.

Robyn and Neal exchanged concern looks before Neal stood, sitting on the arm of the couch.

"You know Gid, I have a pretty shitty relationship with my sister."

Gideon and Robyn turned to Neal in surprise. Neal rarely mentioned his much older sister outside of updates on where she and her husband Killian were.

"I see her twice a year at best because she and Killian are sailing around the world, too busy to check on mom, pop and little brother."

"That's not true Neal." Gideon promised softly.

"Not to mention," Neal continued unperturbed. "She drug our parents down to the Underworld to save a man that was going to leave us both orphans. Sure, my parents had the decision to stay or not, but she didn't exactly tell them that they should stay for the son they had as her replacement."

Neal took in a deep breath and let out a bitter laugh. "My point is, you're not like her. You and this new kid are going to be thick as thieves because you and your family are so…" he paused, the light of the fire dancing in his eyes. "Close."

Robyn gulped and ran her hands on her jeans awkwardly. She hated it when one of them got like this, felt self-loathing about the mistakes their parents made.

Neal blinked and in an instant his good-natured smile was back. "You've got nothing to worry about Gid."

Gideon felt the weight of Neal's words sink into his soul. He was right. His parents had a strong love, and they would make sure that he and this new baby would be fine.

Gid stood, startling Robyn.

"I need to go home," he explained, "I didn't exactly take the new very well."

Robyn nodded, rolling away from him. "I'll put out the fire. See you tomorrow?"

Gideon nodded and gave her a comforting smile before heading for the stairs. He was halfway down the street when he heard Neal call after him.

"Dude," Neal panted as he halted to a stop, "I'm sorry for stealing your platform back there. I'm sure I sounded like a really ass. Emma's just…different. She's really an okay sister. Don't let my shit scare you."

Gideon smirked and gave him a playful shove. "You are a real ass."

Neal pushed him back and they stood their quietly, the cool air whistling into the night.

"In seriousness, you're going to do fine." Neal assured.

"I think I already knew that," Gideon admitted with a soft smile. "I just needed to be reminded."

Neal nodded, shuffling his boots. "Glad I could remind you…"

Gideon snorted. They really were awful at flirting.

"I really should get back…" Gideon said.

"Right!" Neal agreed. "Uh…tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Gidoen laughed.

After another moment of hesitance, Neal headed back to the clocktower to help Robyn.

Gideon licked his lips as he watched him, wanting to say so much more. Right now, however, his family situation was more than his romantic one. He needed to get home and dish out a few apologies.

-,-,-,-,-

It was ten minutes before his curfew by the time Gideon reached the Gold's porch. He didn't feel like going inside just yet. He rocked back and forth slowly on the porch swing his parents had installed some years ago. It had been his mother idea, he recalled. A way to make the house look more inviting. That was him mom in a nutshell: always having more room in her heart for one more person.

Five minutes later, his mother opened the door, glanced around, and smiled when he saw him there. She came out with a tea tray and Gideon knew it was time to talk.

"Your father sensed your return," she told him as she set the tray down and arranged the cups. "I told him to take a shower so that we could talk."

Gideon nodded and watched as she elegantly prepared the teacups, adding all the things he liked in his. So observant, his mother.

"Mom," Gideon began, "I'm…"

"There's no need for apologies," Belle cut in with a reassuring smile. "The baby books prepared me for this."

Gideon snorted. "Of course they did."

Belle reached out and squeezed his free hand. "I know this is going to be an adjustment for all of us, but this is going to be great."

"I know," Gideon said. "Neal put things in light for me."

"Ah," Belle sang with a small, all-knowing smile. "Always the optimist, Neal."

"Yep," Gideon chuckled, relaxing on the swing. "I might con him and Robyn into baby sitting one day." He turned to his mom, searching her glowing face. "Anything in particular you're hoping for."

Belle placed a hand on her slowly expanding stomach. "I just want my children to be healthy," Belle said in a sort of systematic tone. "But," she added with a bite of her lip. "If I had to be a little selfish, I'd love a little girl."

Gideon was astonished. How could his mother ever think her wanting a certain baby was "selfish"? She gave so much of herself every day without a complaint or a request for something in return. She should have all the children she wanted, of any gender she wanted.

"I think a little sister would be great," Gideon commented, intertwining his fingers with his mother's.

"I'm glad you think so sweetie." Belle pulled his hand to her lips. "You're father feels the say way."


	6. Babysitting Debacle

Note: I write these stories as ideas come to me, so their coming to be out of order. Of course I label them as I post them, but understandable a lot of readers like them chronologically.

If you want to read them in order, please visit my A03 page: RyunnKazan.

Age of the kids: 14 years old

-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-

"It says to put it on with the balloons up front." Neal read, still confused despite reading the directions on the diaper box. This was no job for an innocent fourteen-year old.

Gideon soothed his two-month old sister, trying to keep her pacified while he and the other two teenagers in the room tried to figure out how to change a diaper.

Why the hell had they'd volunteer to babysit while his parents went on their first date night since the baby was born?

Because they were damn fools, that's why.

Neal and Robyn had been excellent surrogate siblings while Belle went through her unexpected pregnancy, picking up food craving items on their way from school, helping Gideon and his dad put the nursery together, and most importantly, catching Gideon when he fainted when Belle went into early labor (or "passed" out as Gideon had defended).

Now, they were responsible for the safety and well-being of that baby for at least two hours more.

All had been well for the earliest part of the night, fun even. They had given little Dante Colette Gold her bath, put her in a warm pair of pajamas with bunny ears, and even given her a bottle without much fuss. It wasn't until the foul smell of a dirtied diaper filled the air that the teenagers discovered that babysitting was actually a very dangerous game.

And they were the pawns.

"There's balloons on both sides!" Robyn protested, finally pulling out her cellphone to find a more visual solution to their problem. "Next time try to take notes Gideon."

"Shove off." Gideon hissed, bouncing his little sister. "I know how to do everything else."

"Knock it off, both of you." Neal ordered, picking up a diaper and examining it. "Does it really matter what direction we put it on?"

"Yeah, she could get a rash." Gideon warned, shushing the baby as she got fussier.

"Okay, found one." Robyn announced, turning her cellphone to the boys and baby girl. The teens watched as the instructor cleaned and rediapered the baby, smiling like the whole thing wasn't gross and awkward.

"Go back about thirty seconds." Neal requested.

"What didn't you get?" Robyn miffed.

"How are we supposed to get…everything out?" Neal shivered, he and Robyn turning to Gideon once again.

Gideon honestly didn't know. His parents handled all that. All he did was complain about the smell when he walked by the nursery.

"We have to figure something out. She's at max capacity." Gideon warned, carefully handing the baby over to a stiffened Robyn.

"Don't you run!" Neal yelled, biting his lip when Dante began crying from the loud sound.

Gideon ran back in with a handful of yard masks from the garage and a pair of dish gloves from under the sink.

"Only one pair of gloves," Gideon announced. "Who's gonna do the deed?"

"Why are you even asking?" Robyn protested. "You're her brother!"

"But you're a girl!" Gideon fought back.

"He has a point." Neal shrugged.

"I'm in a wheelchair!" Robyn exclaimed, pointing down at her legs with distaste. "Unless you really want a mess, you better get those damn gloves on!"

"Damn it!" Gideon howled, dulling his irritation so that he could carefully lay the baby out on the changing table. "Hand me the stupid gloves."

Robyn and Neal exchanged a smirk before donning their masks, Neal helping Gideon undress Dante. Once the baby was down to her balloon-printed diaper, the moment of truth arrived and the teens stood clear.

"Okay, just…" Gideon fidgeted with Robyn's phone as baby Dante became more agitated and uncomfortable. He carefully undid the stickers of the diaper, pulling it down slowly.

"Oh my gods no!" Neal gagged when the contents were revealed.

"You drop my phone in that so help me…" Robyn warned through her mask.

"Shut up and let me think." Gideon gagged. "Neal, get her legs before she kicks shit everywhere."

Neal hesitatingly obeyed, holding the baby's tiny legs out of the way while holding his breath.

"Easy, easy now." Neal whispered as Gideon slowly pulled the diaper out from other the baby.

"Shut up."

"Oh my gods I think some just rolled out!" Robyn hollered.

"Ah where!" Gideon screamed, accidentally yanking the diaper the rest of the way and sending its contents flying.

"Oh…oh god." Neal gagged.

"Don't you dare." Gideon warned.

Neal shook his head and ran over to the nearest bowl-like object to throw his stomach contents into.

"Oh my gods what is happening!" Gideon exclaimed as Neal threw up and Dante wailed.

Robyn tried awkwardly to comfort her from her chair but finally threw her hands up in the air when the baby continued to cry. Frustrated and disturbed, she reached up and pulled Gideon down to her level.

"Gideon, you have to make this stop."

"I-I can't." Gideon stated as he looked back and forth between Neal and the baby. "I'm only supposed to use magic in life or death situations."

Robyn grabbed Gideon by the ears and forced him closer.

"Your sister is pissing on the changing table and Neal is throwing his guts out!" she shrieked, shaking Gideon violently. "Use the magic Gideon!"

"Oh my GODS!" Gideon exclaimed before he summoned a great bout of magic. In the blink of an eye, the room was calm and clean, as was baby Dante and Neal.

"Oh god," Neal gasped, scrubbing over his face. "I'm so sorry guys. I don't know what that was."

"That was you being a wuss." Robyn sighed, tearing off her mask and wiping her forehead.

Gideon began redressing his sister, muttering apologies as she cooed comfortably.

"Don't tell my parents about this, please?" Gideon begged has he cupped Dante's small head.

"Would they really care if you used magic?" Neal inquired as he packed away the baby items.

"That's not what I mean." Gideon whispered as he laid Dante down in her crib. "I didn't exactly give the best first impression when mum got pregnant. I don't want them to think I'm rejecting the big-brother role again."

"That was a year ago!" Robyn called from the adjacent bathroom where she was scrubbing her hands and arms furiously.

Gideon soothed his little sister as she tethered off to sleep, nodding for Neal to exit the room.

"You've been stressing about this since Aunt Belle's second trimmest." Neal laughed as he piggybacked Robyn down the stairs, Gideon just behind them with her wheelchair. "They don't look at you any differently, any of us for that matter."

"Why would we look at anyone any differently?"

The teens froze on the stairs, Neal nearly dropping Robyn from being startled by Mr. Gold's voice.

"Um…" Gideon mumbled as his mother came in just behind her husband with a to-go container. "We were…uh talking about uh…"

"Our Halloween costumes!" Robyn stated.

The Gold parents exchanged amused looks.

"A little early to be thinking about Halloween, isn't it?" Rumplestiltskin asked as he helped Gideon set up Robyn's wheel chair.

"Just want to make a decision early." Robyn said as she situated herself. "You know, supplies and all."

"Of course." Belle nodded. "But do try to go as something that doesn't involve fake blood, okay?

"Yeah." The teens agreed, the knots in their stomachs loosening.

"Well, I'd love to sit here all night, but I promised my dad I'd help him with the sheep before Monday." Neal said after a moment of silence.

"Very well." Rumplestiltskin nodded. "Is your father coming to pick you up or would you like a lift?"

"Nah, I'm meeting him at Granny's." Neal answered.

"My mom too." Robyn added as she grabbed her backpack.

"Before you both go," Belle smiled, holding out the container. "Remy gave us a few pieces of molten lava cake for you."

"Sweet!" Gideon cheered. Chef Remy's legendary lava cake was a once in a blue moon delicacy and was only available to those with a reservation at his restaurant.

Belle opened the container, revealing the overly chocolate treat and watched as the teens before her paled.

"Oh gods…" Neal gagged, images of diapers and baby excrements making his stomach turn.

Belle gasped as Neal made a mad dash to the kitchen sink.

Robyn and Gideon flinched as they heard Neal heave, their own stomachs turning.

"I…think we might need that ride Uncle Gold." Robyn grimaced.

"I believe so as well." Rumplestiltskin sighed, grabbing his keys from the bowl by the door (a Mother's Day gift from Gideon from when he was five).

Robyn waited by the wheelchair ramp with Gideon while Rumplestiltskin started the car. A moment later Belle was ushering Neal onto the porch.

"Ugh, I'm sorry Aunt Belle, I don't know what's come over me."

"Wuss." Robyn fake-coughed, causing Gideon to snicker. Both the teen's humor stilled when Belle sent a look their way.

"You'll feel better after some rest." Belle amended, sending Neal to the car.

"You coming, Gid?" Robyn inquired.

"Nah, I'm going to stay here and…recover."

Robyn nodded and wheeled herself to the car.

Gideon and his mother waited until the Cadillac rolled off before they went inside, Belle immediately going upstairs to respond to Dante's cries.

"Hello Rosie Posie." Belle cooed. "Did you have a good day with your big siblings?"

Gideon leaned against the doorframe to watch his mother and sister. The lovely site was almost enough to make him forget about the literal shit day he had. Almost.

"So," Belle said towards him as she laid Dante back in her crib. "What kind of spell did you use today Gideon?"

Gideon nearly fell over, floored by his mother's knowledge of his little magical debacle.

"How did you…"

"I'm your mother, I know everything." Belle said as she cranked Dante's mobile. "That…and your father sensed it."

Gideon groaned, his spine tingling as he sensed a lecture coming on.

Belle crossed her arms in a "mom pose" as Neal had coined it.

"Did something happen?"

"No!" Gideon insisted. "Just…we…" Gideon sighed. "I got a little overwhelmed…and I used a spell to calm things down."

Belle nodded, biting her lip as she mused on Gideon's response. Then she looked up and smiled at him.

"Okay."

Gideon waited for her to continue, to remind him about the consequences of using magic, though she'd save the "price" bit for when his father returned. However, Belle was now focused on folding a basket of baby clothes.

"Are you disappointed?" Gideon asked, his stomach turning in anticipation.

Belle turned, her blue eyes softening.

"Oh honey, no." Belle smiled, dropping a onesie to take her son's hands. "Sweetheart, you're old enough to know how and when to use your magic. Your father and I just like to be informed."

Gideon nodded, barely rolling his eyes when she brushed his hair from his face.

"Now," Belle said. "It's getting late. Don't forget to brush your teeth."

"I know mom." Gideon scoffed, leaving her to tend to his sister. He sighed as he got closer to his room, thankful that his mother had allowed him to spare the details of why he had needed the spell in the first place. He really did not want to think about the details.

As he changed into his pajamas, he mentally rejoiced on having both survived his first day of babysitting as well as getting away with casting his first unsupervised spell.

At least he was until he heard a shriek from Dante's room.

"Gideon Gary Gold, why is there vomit in your sister's baby basin!"

-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-

Note: Dante = Everlasting


	7. Cautionary Interest

Gideon Gold couldn't quite determine when his interest in the same sex began, but if he had to pinpoint, it would have to be the year he grew taller and his voice deepened—his thirteenth year.

It was also the same year he spent the entire summer away from Storybrooke. His parents had taken him to the Enchanted Forest a few times to help him gain control of his powers, as well as to show him some of the hotspots, such as the castle they fell in love in.

That particular summer was more for fun than a business trip (it would be four months before his parents would announce the existence of his baby sister, Dante) and his parents wanted to show him the magical parts of both the Land without Magic and the Enchanted Forest.

Gideon had been psyched for the three months of adventures with his parents and best friends. That is, until Robyn and Neal's mothers decided that they would not be attending. They had invited Zelena and the Charmings to the restaurant to discuss letting their children come with them for their vacation.

"Robyn will be spending the summer at camp in Boston." Zelena proclaimed proudly (and loudly enough so that all the patrons at Granny's would hear them too, apparently).

Belle and Rumple exchanged a look when they noticed how deep Robyn's frown was at the declaration.

"They have an excellent archery program there." Regina, who had trailed along with her sister, reminded Robyn. The confirmation seemed to lift Robyn's spirits just enough that she didn't seem so depressed.

"We'll miss you." Belle assured gently.

Robyn nodded and picked at the pie Granny placed in front of her.

"Guess it's just you, Neal." Belle smiled.

"I'm afraid not." Snow cut in before Neal had the chance. "Neal's going to stay here this summer. We just bought a few sheep and David's going to teach him his heritage."

David smiled proudly, though the hand he placed on his shoulder seemed more like a comforting gesture.

The decision was finalized, and for the first time in their lives, the trio would be spending their free time away from each other, literally realms apart.

Overall, the summer had been fun, but there was only so much conversation Gideon could have with his parents.

Perhaps it was the borderline boredom that had caused Gideon's attention to keep wondering that summer, and subsequently wonder to things that would change certain structures of his life forever.

They were at a beach—South Carolina somewhere. His mother was reading a book of history on the area while his father used sculptor's tools to detail a sandcastle he and Gideon had been building.

Gideon soon left his father to it and began a lonely trek along the surf. He was waterlogged and just bored enough that he was taking in every detail of every person passing by.

The woman jogging in tennis shoes and a bikini had faded stretchmarks on her lower stomach—she had lost a great deal of baby weight and she wanted the world to know it.

The man with a frazzled beard and metal detector relied on the loose change and scraps he found to survive. It would take a whole day of findings just to afford a meal.

The group of teens practicing CPR were part of a lifeguard training program, and they weren't nearly as fleeting as the rest of the people on the beach. They stayed in one spot, and Gideon could watch their story play out.

He watched the coach of the teens send them back and forth into the water, doing all sorts of exercises, reapplying sunscreen to each other's backs and shoulders. It was mesmerizing, the tandem of teamwork, but it wasn't until one of the male teens jogged out of the water that a different sort of feeling ran through Gideon.

He watched the droplets of salty water fall from the chiseled teen's chest and abs to the rim of his swimsuit trunks, the material sagging from the weight of the absorbed water.

The sight left a strange feeling in the pit of Gideon's stomach, something he had never felt before. Something that was exciting but for some reason made the developing teen slightly ashamed.

His parents always told him to never be afraid to discuss anything with them, but he couldn't help being a bit embarrassed when he brought the subject to them that night as they prepared for bed. It reminded him of the talk they had last winter when Robyn started bleeding from her private area and his parents gave him his first sex talk.

Apparently, this counted as one too.

"It's completely natural." His father whispered as Belle showered. "Being interested in bodies at your age is nothing to be ashamed of. But always remember to be respectful, and no peaking." His father ended the conversation with a wink and went to turn down the covers to the double bed of their comfortable hotel room.

Gideon considered himself lucky that the conversation ended there, but for the first time in his life, he didn't feel like he had gotten the full extent of his father's life-lesson.

To be fair it wasn't his fault.

Gideon had told his father that he was curious about the bodies he saw on the beach, but he forgot to inform him that it wasn't the bodies of the ladies that had peaked his attention.

The summer ended, and Gideon and his friend were reunited—and the young teen soon found that while it had only been two and a half months since their separation—a lot had changed.

Robyn had seemed to grow into her wheelchair at last: her stance was straighter, more confident. Her hair had lost it's auburn hue and was taken on a more blond tint, her green eyes brighter. Her arms as well had seemed to bulk up.

"Archery. All summer!" Robyn bragged over milkshakes at Granny's, a day after Gideon's return and another three before either one of them would see Neal again. "The kids there started calling me 'Robyn Hood'. If only they knew!"

Gideon was happy for her, and happier that the summer experiences kept her talk and less curious about his own escapades. He wasn't ready to tell Robyn, not because she was a girl or because he was embarrassed, but because Robyn was the kind of friend to push you in the pool after you told her you couldn't swim. She didn't believe in pussyfooting around, and telling her about his possible interests in guys could lead to a lot of embarrassment on his end.

That was partially the reason why he made his way into Storybrooke's countryside to Charming's sheep farm. Neal knew how to keep secrets (ironic, considering who his mother was). If Gideon revealed to him his possible interest in men, he would help him.

The Charming's sheep farm was much prettier than it had been at the start of the summer. The fields were greener, and the hills were covered in sheep and their lambs. It was a lovely, peaceful location, but Gideon couldn't help but feel nervous about what was inside the comfy-looking farmhouse pulling it all together.

Mrs. Nolan didn't like Gideon. She was never unkind to him, but there was this dark energy that came off her whenever he was around. It unnerved him, and was the reason why he didn't step foot into their old loft apartment.

Now, Neal had his own room with a door and walls and a window Gideon could scale down from if he needed to.

With a deep breath, he knocked on the door and miracles of miracles, Mr. Nolan answered.

"Gideon!" David greeted warmly. "Look at you! You grew, what, a whole foot?"

"Just two inches, Mr. Nolan." Gideon replied good-naturedly, clearing his throat to cover the slight crack that had been stuck there in the last month. "Is Neal around?"

"He just ran upstairs. Go ahead." Mr. Nolan replied with a wink, and Gideon turned quickly to hide the crimson wave that washed over his face.

He needed to figure this out, preferably before he developed a crush on his best friend's dad.

He did a quick knock on Neal's door, waiting for his grunt before entering.

"Hey dude I'm…" Gideon paused as Neal turned, his face red with perspiration, his wet shirt sticking to him like a second skin.

"Gid!" Neal greeted excitedly. "I heard you were back."

"Your voice…" Gideon squeaked, his heart thumping.

"Your voice!" he laughed back. "Looks like we both hit the big change."

Gideon nodded dumbly, his eyes trailing over his taller form. "Yeah…some things are…different now."

Neal laughed, stepping forward as he pulled off his sticky shirt. "No kidding. Check it out, I've been bench-pressing sheep all summer."

Gideon's mouth went dry at the sight of Neal's chiseled chest and stomach. Gone was the pale, boyish softness. In its place was a developing six-pack and toned arms strengthened by hard work.

The flutter the young teen had felt when he saw the trainees at the beach was creeping back into his stomach, only this time it was not accompanied by shame.

This time, Gideon felt a strange sense of joy seeing how his friend had changed. Like Robyn, he had beautifully grown into his own skin. He had an air of confidence that he hadn't had during the awkward stage of his development.

In short, Neal Nolan was beautiful, and Gideon could have stared at him forever.

"You okay, Gid?"

Like a timebomb, Gideon's illusion burst into a million pieces. What was he doing? How could he be ogling his best friend like this?

Gideon forced a nod, lowering his eyes so that he could find his composure.

"Did you come for something?" Neal inquired as he dried off with a stray towel.

 _Don't look don't look don't look!_

"I ah…wanted to…" he could feel Neal's concerned gaze on him, and it made him feel as half-naked as him. "I just wanted to see if…you'd want to…come to the diner with me tonight."

"Sure." Neal agreed instantly. "Seven, okay?"

Gideon nodded sharply, making a beeline out the door.

"Was there anything else?" Neal called after him.

Gideon didn't lift his gaze until he made it to the bottom of the steps, finding Neal's father at the kitchen entrance, his shirt opened halfway.

"Going already, Gideon?" Mr. Nolan inquired as he sipped a glass of water.

"Damn IT!" Gideon shrieked, grasping his cracking throat as he dashed out the door.

David flinched as the door slammed after him, glancing up to the top of the stairs where Neal stood.

"What was that?" David chuckled.

Neal shrugged. "Beats the shit out of me, pop."

"Language," David reminded him sternly.

Gideon stopped for air as he reached the edge of the Charming's farm, his head spinning both from the lack of oxygen and the dulled down lust taking over his brain.

As he made the slow trek back into town, he realized he wouldn't have to discuss the possibility of his interest of the same sex with anyone.

It was flawlessly clear to Gideon Gold that he, indeed, liked guys.

And, it was indecisively obvious, that those feelings might just extend to his best friend, Neal Nolan.

Shit.


	8. Dinnertime Debacle

Gideon released a nervous whistle as he added the final touches on his outfit. After two hours of tossing garments around he'd finally decided on a decent look. He frowned however at his hair. He need a cut, and the boyish locks made him look like he was going to a church service rather than a dinner with his possibly-soon-to-be-boyfriend and his parents.

He added a bit of gel, glaring at his shaking hands in the mirror. It was just Neal for gosh sakes! Nothing had changed between them really. They were still best friends…just friends who found each other attractive and had a knack for kissing that one time.

Son of a bitch he was screwed.

Just as he pulled his fingers from his hair, his cellphone buzzed. He glanced down and saw that it was from the three-way message he, Robyn, and Neal had started long ago.

He swiped and read the message from Robyn.

 _Ready for tonight boys_

Gideon rolled his eyes and carefully texted a response. He wanted to be careful in case Neal read it.

 _Yep…nervous. Just a bit 0-o_

Admitting his fears helped unravel the knot in his stomach. Barely a second later came a response. Gideon expected to see Robyn's name on the tag but was surprised to see Neal's.

 _Everything's going to be fine. No matter what happens, I still want to be with you._

Gideon grinned, feeling silly with his warm face. His cellphone went off again with an additional message from Neal.

 _Is it too early to start calling you babe? Do dudes even call each other babe?_

Before Gideon could respond Robyn broke in.

DON'T KNOW DON'T CARE YA'LL BABES TONIGHT! XDDDDD

Gideon flinched at the overuse of caps. For the first time he was glad Robyn had turned down his invitation to "chaperone" tonight's dinner (mainly because it would mean bringing her mother and the last thing he needed was for her and his father to start a battle).

A quiet knock on the door pulled him from his musings. He found his sister standing there, looking smaller and very unlike her usually peppy self.

"Geez Dee, why so…glum?" Gideon shrugged.

"Shove your lack of rhymes." Dante muttered, flopping down at the end of bed, her hands flinching similarly the way their father's did when he was nervous.

"Grumpy grumpy," Gideon cornered, looking away to select a tie. "Not that I don't always enjoy the invasion of privacy, but is there something you needed?"

Dante fidgeted a bit before she squared her shoulders.

"Gid, I don't think we should have this dinner."

Gideon paused at his sister's declaration. Just that morning she had been teasing him over waffles, asking questions about his and Neal's first kiss and what they were planning for a first date. Knowing that there were two additional pairs of ears listening, he answered his little sister with a wink and had given her a ride to school.

"Why?" Gideon asked simply. Dante had never been clingy with his attention, why would she start now?

"It's just…" Dante paused to think. "You can do so much better with possible in-laws. You were laugh-crying in the shower this morning. Do you really want to do that for the rest of your life?"

Gideon snorted and turned back to decide on the tie. "We're not even dating yet. Besides, you like Neal."

"As much as I like you." Dante snorted, though her fidgeting did not cease.

"Did something happen?" Gideon pushed. Usually, he'd be the best big brother in the world and converse all night with his sister, but tonight he had to decide on a tie and act like perfect boyfriend material for the Nolan's.

Dante paused, watching her brother as he tried to decide between a blue or red tie. She couldn't tell him, not when he was trying so hard to be better than what most people thought he was.

What they both were.

She stood quietly and prepared to leave him in peace. She had already promised her mother she'd set the table, "with the good china" as she had requested.

The youngest Gold spared a glance over her shoulder at her nervous brother. Tonight was his night, and she was utterly terrified for him.

"The red one." She muttered, crossing her arms tightly around her center before heading downstairs.

-,-,-,-,-,-

Belle chewed her lip as she put the final touches on her potato salad. She had closed the library early so that she could come home and prepare for dinner with the Charming's and the rest of her family was doing their parts. Rumple was on the patio getting the grill heated up while Gideon was changing his clothes yet again.

"Anything you choose will look great sweetie," Belle laughed earlier as she watched her son tried to choose between three different plaid shirts.

"It's not Neal I'm trying to look good for," Gideon said absently as he looked back and forth between belt buckles.

"You're not dating his parents," Belle had said. "Everything's…" Belle stopped. Saying everything would be fine would only make things more stressful. It was better to let her son stress now so that he'd be more relaxed at dinner.

She was taking her own advice now and all but pulling her hair out. She hosted dinner parties before, so why was this one particularly nerve-wracking?

"Because the Charming's aren't just acquaintances any longer, their possible in-laws." Rumple responded when Belle asked him the exact question. He was marinating the steaks and wearing a pink apron that was too ridiculous to be worn during such a serious conversation.

Belle glanced upstairs before she moved closer to her husband. "It's a bit…early to talk like that isn't it?"

Rumple gave her a small smile and a shrug. "They've been friends since infancy. Anything's possible."

Belle sighed and took another sip of the wine Rumple had poured for her. It was pleasant to hear her husband think so positively about the future. For so long they had just lived day by day, waiting for catastrophes to arise. Thinking any farther than next week was dangerous.

She glanced at the clock on the oven and felt her stomach turn. The Nolan's were due at their home in 15 minutes.

She glanced out into the dining room where her usually quiet daughter was slowly setting the table. She'd been there for ten minutes and only had two plates down.

Belle wanted to be irritated, but her maternal instincts would often outweigh her aggressive ones. There were some perks to being married to an infuriating man like the Dark One after all. She laid down her knife and walked over to the table, leaning against the glossy wood.

"You're rather distracted tonight, Dante Colette." Her mother said with a teasing air.

The youngest Gold looked at her mother, her eyes faltering as she fidgeted with a knife.

"Mom," Dante began, too quietly and too unlike herself. "If you knew something bad was going to happen, and that there was nothing you could do to prevent it, would you still let it happen?"

Belle mused on the odd question, searching for a way to answer it.

"There was a time when I sensed your father was going bad." Belle stated. "Right after your older brother passed away, your father went through a dark phase. He was obsessed with gaining more power so that he would never be powerless again."

Dante sat down, intrigued. "What did you do?"

Her mother was quiet for a moment, her eyes downcast.

"I turned him away." Belle admitted. "I set him into the world completely powerless because I was so angry at him, and I've regretted it since."

Dante gulped, a coldness setting into her bones.

"I felt like something was wrong with your father but I chose to ignore it. I wanted him to be the man he was before Baelfire's death. I thought after enough time he would be again. Ignoring the problem cost your father the help he needed., and both of us precious time."

They both looked up when they heard the door in the kitchen open, indicating that Rumplestiltskin was coming back in from lighting the grill.

"My point, honey, is that it's important to follow your heart. Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

Dante gulped and glanced up the stairs where she could hear the muffled sounds of Gideon's anxious footsteps.

"I…well…"

Before Dante could answer, the doorbell resounded through the house and a cry from Gideon followed.

"Oh my gods their here!" Gideon screamed from upstairs. A moment later he came bounding down, his hands pulling at the soft tie around his neck. "Get this thing off me it was a stupid idea!"

"Son for goodness sake stop before you choke yourself." Rumplestiltskin sighed, pulling his nervous son to the living room to help him calm down.

Belle made a sharp glance at the door and then back to her daughter. She didn't want to force her daughter into a decision, but time was of the essence.

"Sweetie?" Belle nudged with a gentle smile.

Dante closed her eyes for a long moment before taking her mother's hand, letting her pull her up.

"That's my brave girl." Belle smiled.

"It follows, right." Dante shrugged, shoving her hands in her pockets as her mother went to answer the door.

-,-,-,-

"We were…a bit surprised when you invited us over." David admitted to Rumplestiltskin as he turned a steak over on the grill.

Rumplestiltskin took a sip of the wine the Charming's had brought, thankful the majority of the guests were of drinking age. A drink on all their parts could help tonight run a bit more smoothly, though he doubted things would get heated. The Charmings were open-minded people and had one of the grandest love stories to ever be written. Love came in all forms, surely, they'd understand that when it came to Neal and Gideon.

"It was Belle's idea." Rumple said, realizing how rude he must have sounded the moment the words left his mouth.

David however chuckled good-naturedly, his over-expansive sense of humor saving them both from an awkward conversation.

"Neal seemed a bit nervous about coming over." David added, keeping his eyes on the grill.

Rumplestiltskin blinked and studied the Charming clan patriarch.

"Is that so?"

Charming nodded, a secret smile spreading from the corner of his mouth.

"I figured he'd be…nervous…eventually. I'm not too surprised, I just thought it would happen sooner…the nervousness I mean."

Rumple tried not to roll his eyes at the allusion David was trying to set.

"And did your wife notice the "nervousness"?"

David's smile dimmed, but just slightly.

"Um, no, I don't think so. She's been a bit preoccupied over Emma lately."

Rumplestiltskin nodded sympathetically. Emma had been traveling the realms with Killian since just after Neal's second birthday. Over the years her visits home had become sparse, and in the last year the only form of communication she had with her family was a few salt-crusted letters detailing her adventures and how happy she was.

Rumple tried not to judge her decision, but it seemed a bit odd to him that a young woman who wanted a family for so long would uproot herself from them for a man, especially if that man was Killian Jones.

He knew he was hardly one to judge, but he also knew that there was still some vileness in the pirate's soul, even if he had made a few altercations. It left a sour taste in his mouth to have to acknowledge him as extended family. However, Killian was the Charming's pill to swallow, not his.

"I wish she could be here right now." David said, revealing his grief. "For her brother."

The Dark One nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you can catch her up when she comes home."

David paused for a moment before nodding. "Yeah…right. You're right. She'll be home soon."

Rumplestiltskin's heart clenched for the man. David sounded so unconvinced at his own words.

He hoped Belle was having a better time with Snow White.

-,-,-,-,-

"And this is them in the Caribbean!" Snow shrilled, scrolling to yet another photo of her daughter and Killian.

Belle smiled out of politeness, but there was something about Snow White's overly happy personality that made her skin prickle. She looked over at her daughter who was holding her head as if it was about to explode. Though Snow White had yet to notice, Belle still motioned for her daughter to sit up.

Dante did sit up, but then she stood and walked into the living room where her brother and possibly-soon-to-be boyfriend were. Maybe now she could tell them both what she knew, save this night before it even started.

However, when her eyes landed on her brother and Neal, she did not reveal her tragic secret, but instead watched in awe at the spectacle before her.

Gideon and Neal were sitting a respectable distance from each other on the couch—the kind of distance two young men who had known each other all their lives would sit on any other night. But there was a static-like magic between them. It spread through Gideon's arm as he wrapped it around the back of the couch, a breath away from Neal's shoulders. It was in Neal's fingertips as he unintentionally grazed Gideon's thigh as they turned up the television to block out Mrs. Nolan's animated talking.

"Man." Dante cursed. Darn her brother and unofficial brother for having such natural chemistry! How could she take such a thing away from them?

-,-,-,-,-

"The steaks are cooked great, dear." Belle commented, winking at her husband. "New marinade?"

"Yes," Rumple smiled, "David's cooking skills should be given the credit. For the life of me I can never remember the difference between a well and a well-done."

The adults at the table chuckled good-naturedly while the one minor at the table struggled to keep her fork steady.

"Everything's fine." She said to herself. "Everyone's in a good mood. Just keep it up, it won't happen. They'll be fine. Everything will be fine."

"You know, we were surprised you invited us over." Snow spoke up as she dabbed her mouth with a napkin. "It's been so long since we've really set foot in your home."

It was on the tip of Rumple's tongue to remind her former majesty that the only times she had set foot in his home at all was to demand help from him or to pick up and drop off her son. However, this was Gideon and Neal's night, and he would rather bite his own tongue off than ruin it for them.

Belle glanced at Neal and Gideon. She noticed that one of each of their hands were under the table, holding and comforting each other. Gideon met her eyes and gave a small nod.

From the end of the table, Dante whimpered. It was happening.

"Actually, mom," Neal spoke, sitting up straighter in his chair. "Dinner was our idea. We have something we want to tell you."

David hid his grin behind his clutched hands, sending a knowing look Gold's way.

"Oh, is it another play?" Snow inquired. Gideon had started writing plays during college and often recruited Neal and Robyn to help him with them.

"Not exactly." Gideon relayed, his fingers tapping nervously against his wine glass. Under the table, Neal caressed his thigh to help him relax.

Belle glanced at her husband who winked at her, his smile fading a bit when he turned to Dante. She was tense in her chair as she stared at her brother and Neal.

"Mom, Dad," Neal breathed, Gideon's firm grip in his hand giving him a dose of courage he needed. "Gideon and I are…together. Romantically. Emotionally. Sometimes spiritually."

"Oh my God, Neal." Gideon groaned as he struggled not to laugh. And he thought he had been nervous when he told his parents.

"Well how about that!" David smiled, trying to act like he hadn't had a hunch all along. "This is great! Isn't this great, Snow?"

Belle looked over at the Charming clan matriarch and paled. She was tense in her chair, staring at her son and—now officially—his boyfriend.

"I…what…" Snow blinked, standing from her chair, her eyebrows drawn down in confusion. "No…no absolutely not!"

Belle and Rumplestiltskin exchanged concern looks with their son, and David's gleeful smile faded at his wife's outburst.

"No no no…" Dante cried under her breath.

"Snow…" David said after he cleared his throat nervously. "This…" he motioned to their petrified son and Gideon. "Is not a problem. This is our son. Him and Gideon, it doesn't change anything."

Snow stepped away from the table, pressing her temples as he dodged her husband's comforting hands.

"He likes boys, Snow. He likes Gideon." David tried to sooth calmly. "There's nothing—"

"I don't care if he's gay, David!" Snow exclaimed. "I don't care what he is!"

"Then why are you—"

"Because I don't understand why…" Snow looked around the room until her eyes landed on Rumplestiltskin, who met her piercing gaze with one of his own. "Why _him_?" she wailed, gesturing to the Dark One. "Why did it have to be _his son_?"

A tense followed Snow White's outburst, the parties in the room unsure just how to react. It wasn't until Dante jumped out of her chair and fled from the room with a muffled sob that everyone's minds began reeling once more.

"Mom!" Neal exclaimed, jumping from his chair. "That is not fair!"

"It doesn't matter if it's fair!" Snow yelled, pulling from her husband's grip. "It matters that it's true! I have spent too long fighting the darkness for my only son to fall into its trap!"

"Fighting the darkness?" Rumplestiltskin growled, standing from his chair. "You call forcing your daughter's darkness into another child so that you wouldn't have to deal with it _fighting_?"

"I did what was necessary to protect my daughter!" Snow fought.

"And you did so well. How long was Emma the Dark One again?"

"Both of you stop!" Belle exclaimed, creating a very temporary and much needed silence. She and David exchanged looks, two parents who had no hard feelings against each other but had to keep their respective, much more hot-blooded spouses at bay.

"Rumple, go check on our daughter." Belle ordered softly. She could see the dark magic radiating off him. No one, not even his son's boyfriend's mother, was safe from his wrath when his child was threatened.

"Actually Belle, you should go check on her." Rumplestiltskin said, his eyes locked on the former princess. "After all, Snow White's issue is with the Dark One."

"No, father," Gideon spoke up, standing from his chair and yet seeming much smaller. "Her issue is me."

Snow White shifted awkwardly before giving the younger man an appraising look.

"Mrs. Nolan," Gideon proclaimed as steadily as he could. "I…care about Neal very much." He looked to the young man, who returned his weak smile despite the anger in his eyes. "I always have."

Snow's eyes lowered, either in guilt or acceptance Gideon couldn't tell.

"I promise you that as long as he'll have me, I'll be the best person I can be with him."

Neal watched Gideon, who only a few months ago had been his best friend, his brother and confidant. There had never been a moment when Neal had doubted him, or when Gideon felt like anything but kinship and acceptance from him.

"I'm sorry, Gideon." Snow White spoke, her spine straight and her voice as apologetic as it had been sincere. "That's not enough for me."

"This isn't about you, Snow, or any of us for that matter." Belle spoke up. "This is about them, and their lives and decisions. We have to support them no matter what."

Snow White turned to Belle, her eyes hard and unforgiving. Belle wondered what happened to the woman who had comforted her moments after Hook had shot her, who held her as she grieved for Baelfire and consoled her during Gideon's ultrasound. Those days seemed so long ago, and the woman before her seemed so foreign, so gone. Her once brave smile didn't quite reach her eyes and her hands shook and fidgeted on her hips as she damned the relationship before her.

"You might not mind enabling your child's darkness, but I refuse to let mine go down that path."

"You should have thought about that before you pushed your daughter into the arms of that pirate." Rumplestiltskin snarked, satisfied when Snow shot around to him instead of his wife.

" _Excuse you!"_

"You let her marry a man who made her put him above her family. Her son. _You're grandson_."

"She had a dark curse in her! _You're curse_!"

"As did Hook, but it wasn't until it was made known to him that he acted on his dark impulses. It's almost as if he used the curse as an excuse for the horrible things he did to all of you."

"Rumple…" Belle growled in warning.

"And what of now?" Rumple continued. "Where is your daughter on such an important night? Why isn't she and your "son-in-law" here celebrating this occasion?"

"Dad…" Gideon gasped weakly.

"There's nothing to celebrate!" Snow yelled, her face red.

"Snow please…" David begged as he held her back from charging at the Dark One, his own eyes filled with grief, for once unable to settle the peace among his friends and family.

"I know what's best for him! I'm his mother!" Snow continued to shout.

Neal covered his mouth as rage and frustration threatened to boil over inside him.

Rumplestiltskin tilted his head, purposely avoiding Belle's desperate gaze.

"Belle has been more of a mother to Neal than you ever have."

In a second Snow was out of David's grip, her body taunt for a fight, to cause the Dark One something equivalent to the pain raging in her chest.

But she barely made it three steps from her husband's protective hold (not since Emma had taken on the dark curse had he held her so tightly). A golden cocoon of magic had enclosed around her form, freezing every part of her body but her wide eyes.

"Gideon!" Belle exclaimed when she saw the magic bouncing off his outstretched fingers.

Gideon hadn't been able to stop himself. He had seen Snow White's hand ready to strike his father's face and he let his instincts take over. He hadn't wanted to hurt her—he would never try to hurt someone purposely.

He just wanted her to stop.

Now he was staring into the fearful eyes the woman who could potentially be his mother-in-law (sure he and Neal hadn't talked long-term, but more than likely they would end up related some sort of way).

"Gideon…" Neal's soft voice interjected.

Gideon looked up to see Neal staring at him, having up a few painful inches between them. For the first time in the entire duration of their relationship, there was uncertainty in his eyes. The twist it caused in his heart caused Gideon's harmless spell to seize, releasing Snow White into her husband's protective hold.

"You see!" Snow gasped. "He's a monster, Neal! Just like his father!"

"Enough, mom!" Neal growled, torn and losing his ability to keep his temper.

In a blur of golden magic, Gideon disappeared, leaving his shocked parents and boyfriend behind.

The room became wanly quiet, so quiet that the adults in the room could just pick up the sound of the refrigerator humming in the kitchen.

So very quiet that Rumplestiltskin—with his enhanced, magical senses—could just hear the muffled sound of his daughter's sobs upstairs.

If Belle hadn't grabbed his hand, he might have done something horrible to the former princess, and traumatized her husband and son in the process.

"Go check on our daughter. Now." Belle ordered. Her voice was as soft as spiderweb, and just as deadly as the creature that spun it. "I'll handle this."

Rumplestiltskin had heard her words, and his heart could have overflown with the anxiety he felt for both his children, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Snow White.

He'd never liked her, in the Enchanted Forest or in Storybrooke. She was a captious hypocrite, and had her nose so stuck up in the air that birds could misinterpret it as a perch. He had understood her anger and disgust towards him; everyone felt that way. It was the way she treated Belle and his son that had made his skin crawl. He treated them like being in her presence was a privilege. For the sake of Gideon and Neal's friendship he'd kept his tongue, same as he had with Zelena for Robyn's sake.

He wouldn't care what she said to him. Yell at him, spit on him. Fine. But not his family. Never them.

But she had. And he wanted to rip her apart, years of repressed darkness filling his veins and threatening to drown him in one swoop.

Suddenly, Snow White's face vanished and was replaced with Belle's. The coolness of her blue eyes soothed the fire in his heart just enough for him to function again

"Go upstairs, check on our daughter." She repeated. She smiled comfortingly at him, but her lip was trembling. "She needs you."

Rumple nodded and kept his eyes forward as he made his way upstairs.

As soon as she could no longer hear him, she turned back to her guests. Neal was leaning against the table, his hands gripping the polished wood like his life depended on it. David had put just a bit of space between himself and his wife, his eyes cast on the floor.

Belle stepped up the couple, meeting Snow White's green eyes as her chin lifted with regal smugness.

"Get out, and don't ever talk to me or my family again." Belle commanded softly, her hands curled against her sides.

"Fine with me." Snow affirmed, stalking to the door. "Come on Neal."

Neal Nolan slowly lifted his head, revealing to his parents his bloodshot eyes and stiff frown.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Neal spoke, his voice garbled.

Snow paused, starting at her son in puzzled astonishment.

"What did you say?" she inquired, not necessary in a condescending tone, but more in a tone that a mother gave their child when they had done something wrong and were given the chance to make amends before consequences were given out.

He was nearly a quarter of a century old and his mother still saw him as a child who needed a firm hand.

"I said," Neal croaked, his voice rising, "what he hell is wrong with you, mother?"

The look is Snow White's eyes was more than surprise; it was shocked fury.

Behind her David tried to meet Neal's eyes, to beg him not to add any more fuel to the fire.

Snow crossed her arms tightly over her chest, as if to shield herself from Neal's spiteful words. "I did not raise my son to speak to me that way."

"Actually, you did." Neal scoffed wetly. "After all I'm the son of the great Snow White!" he exclaimed her title with a great embellish, a trait he no doubt had learned from his unofficial godfather. "The bandit! The runaway Princess! The mother who put her daughter in a tree and forced her to grow up alone in an unforgiving world! The same one who let her marry a man she was tearing herself a part for!"

"You don't know what you're talking about! She loves Killian!"

Belle and David exchanged a look of uncertainty.

"She might love him, mom, but she was never _**in**_ love with him!" Neal revolted. "She never had the chance to, because she was damn terrified of losing him! He made her terrified! And you did nothing to help her!"

"That's not true."

"You were so obsessed with making up for the time you lost that you abandoned her in the worst way!"

"Enough—"

"You ignored her trauma to amend your own!"

The sound of Snow White's hand colliding with Neal's face echoed throughout the house. It wasn't until the former princess's hand fell to her side and Neal's bright cheek came into view that the full weight of what she'd done hit the people in the room.

"Mary Margaret!" David exclaimed, running between his wife and son.

To Neal's benefit, he had barely flinched at her assault, and his eye were dry from emotion.

"Oh Gods," Belle gasped.

"Neal…" Snow White cried. "Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry."

Neal stepped away, not meeting her eyes. "I'm going to look for Gideon."

"Neal, no," David begged. "Please wait."

"I'll talk to you in the morning, dad." Neal called out, jogging out the door before his parents could stop him.

Belle stepped around the inconsolable Snow White, knowing if she so much as brushed up against her she wouldn't be able to restrain herself.

"Let him go, let him think." Belle whispered to David. "We all need to calm down."

David nodded, and Belle averted her eyes from the tears going down his face.

"David, I didn't mean to do that." Snow White defended.

"I know," David sighed wetly, keeping his back to her as he stepped down the steps. "You don't mean to do a lot of things."

"David, wait, David!" Snow yelled after him as he stalked to the truck, closing himself in and gripping the wheel. To his benefit, he didn't start the car, didn't leave his wife behind. Perhaps he did it because he loved her enough not to let her walk home. Or perhaps it was to protect her from the Gold's.

"This is all your fault." Snow growled to Belle.

Belle turned to the Charming matriarch, her jaw locked to withhold any grating comments that could further add to the hostility in the air.

"You and your family are always ruining my life!"

"Get out." Belle hissed, her resolve melting away. "Before I throw you out."

"I'd love to see you try." Snow challenged.

Belle stepped up to the former princess, keeping her fists frozen to her side.

"You listen to me, and you listen to me well." Belle said stiffly. "I have done my best for over twenty years to remain civil with you. To forgive the blackmail and disregard of my family's safety and feelings. But I see now that sometimes, kindness isn't enough, because you don't deserve my kindness, and you haven't for a long time."

Belle stepped back to the door, keeping her glare level with Snow White's. "I recognize that Rumple has done things to your family in the past, and I understand if you may still hold some ill-will, I don't blame you. But after the countless speeches of second chances and forgiveness, you think you might at least try to follow your own advice, especially considering all the other grudges you've let go."

"I don't expect someone like you to understand—"

"Someone like me?" Belle exclaimed. "Someone who's been imprisoned, and beaten and used as blackmail by 'heroes' like you!"

Snow's mouth remained ajar but Belle did not give her the chance to speak.

"I have done nothing but help and sacrifice for you, and all I've ever gotten in return is lies and scorn! But I've finally learned my lesson. Neal will always be a part of my family, and maybe even David because he's always tried. As for you, I don't care to ever speak to you again."

"You're being—"

"And as for what Rumple said earlier, he's right. I **have** been a mother to Neal. He comes to me when he feels like he can't go to you, because I don't expect him to be some grand hero. Because unlike you, I've learned from my mistakes."

Belle held the door open, daring a response from Snow White. "Now get the hell out of my house."

Snow didn't move at first, her body taunt with the sting of Belle's words. Yet, she didn't try to charge at her like she had the Dark One. Maybe she had taken all her strength out on her son. Maybe she had lost her nerve. Or Maybe she had taken into consideration that she just might not be able to take on the wife on the Dark One.

With her spine straight and her head high, she exited the Gold mansion, the angry breeze from her departure cooling Belle's cheeks.

The Gold matriarch leaned against the smooth wood, letting the events of the night play back in her head.

Gideon's rejected face.

Neal's hate-filled eyes.

Her daughter running to her room in tears.

Belle allowed her self a moment to grieve. Her children needed her tonight and she hadn't been able to protect them. Now Gideon was gods knows where and her husband and daughter were trying to sort out their own pain upstairs.

Belle wiped her eyes and quickly converged a game plan. She needed to find her son and Neal, help them understand that everything was going to be alright.

The sound of her husband's distinctive footsteps and Belle met her husband's eyes over the banister.

"Hey," he greeted softly. "How'd it go, I heard yelling."

"I held my own," Belle sighed. "I'll relay the details later. Right now, I need to find Gideon."

"Later," Rumplestiltskin waved off. "Our daughter needs to tell us something."

Belle paused. Dante had been acting strange all day and she had not had the chance to reveal why. Belle had failed her first tonight, and not more so.

"Gideon…"

"Is an adult and will be fine while we help our daughter."

"Just because he's an adult doesn't mean he still doesn't need his parents, Rumple!"

The Dark One paused, taking the blunt of his wife's outburst. He made his way down, ready to comfort her. When he reached the final step, he saw her chin wobbling and the unshed tears burning her eyes.

"Come here." He said just as Belle collapsed into his arms.

"Oh Gods Rumple I failed him." She wailed into his shoulder."

"No, no sweetheart." Rumplestiltskin cooed. "You didn't fail anyone. You did everything you could to make this a good night for Gideon and Neal, it just…didn't happen. But it's not your fault." He pulled back and tilted her chin to meet his eyes. "It is not your fault."

Belle nodded, sniffling and wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry for earlier." Rumplestiltskin apologized as he massaged gentle circles into her shoulders. "I made the situation worse by losing my temper."

Belle shrugged. "You were defending our son. And I'm glad you did most of the yelling."

Rumplestiltskin snorted in amusement before intertwining their fingers. "Let's go talk to Dante, then, if we don't hear from him, we'll go find Gideon."

Belle nodded and let her husband lead her upstairs, sparing a glance at the front door just in case their son decided to make a sudden an appearance.

Dante was curled onto her side, her hoody covering her red face.

Belle's heart constricted at the sight. Dante never cried. She'd always been the happiest baby, never fussy, never cranky or tantrum-prone. Today had been the most unhinged she'd ever been during the entire eight years of her life.

Belle didn't like either of children being sad, it was unheard of for her daughter. Something had happened before Snow White's outburst, and Belle was determined to find out just what it was.

"Sweetie," Rumplestiltskin cooed, rubbing her arm gently. "Tell your mum what you told me, okay."

Dante sat up slowly, using her sleeve to wipe her eyes (a habit her parents would normally try to discourage but now was not the time for a lesson in etiquette). She stared at her knees for a moment, trying to find the constant courage that swelled through her.

"I knew it was going to happen," Dante relayed quietly.

Belle turned to her husband, confused, and he indicated for her to continue listening.

"I saw that Ms. Nolan was going go off on Gideon and Neal…that she was going to hurt them and Papa but…"

Belle tensed when he saw her eyes watering once more.

"I didn't do anything," she cried. "I didn't know what to do."

Rumple leaned in and pulled his daughter into his arms, caressing her back as he turned to Belle.

"Sweetheart how…" Belle paused, the realization hitting her.

"You saw it…with magic?" Belle gasped, looking over her beautiful little girl who subtlety nodded at her question.

Gideon's magic had started developing when he was just over three months old, harmless to begin with, more chaotic until he was able to control it a bit more.

Dante's however never formed. She'd been a completely magicless baby, leaving her parents to believe Gideon's had lingered from his time as an adult.

It would seem now however that their daughter was a late bloomer with an extraordinary gift.

"When did it…how does it…" Belle tried the find the words to inquire her daughter's newfound abilities. It had taken a few tries during therapy, but Belle had managed to accept the place magic had in her life. It was a part of her husband, and now part of both of her children.

"Last summer." Dante sniffled. "During the trip to the beach. I saw turtles crawling on the beach and I knew to bring a camera."

Belle nodded, having thought the randomness of her daughter's sudden "need" for a camera amusing at the time.

"Then I saw other things. Pop quizzes in school, when it was going to rain…things like that."

"Did you foresee Gideon telling us about Neal during family night last week?" Rumplestiltskin questioned with a tilt of his chin.

Dante shrank down. "Maybe."

Her father chuckled good-naturedly, showing her that there was no ill-will for her little cheat.

"Why didn't you tell us that you could see into the future?" Belle inquired gently.

Dante shrugged. "I didn't really think I needed to. Everything was going fine until today."

Belle looked into her daughter's downcast eyes, so full of remorse and hurt. She wanted to lay all those feelings on Snow White, but there was something in her form that made Belle know that some of the responsibility for her secret-keeping were on her.

"Is it because of me?" Belle asked calmly, wanting her tone to be open enough for Dante.

The young girl fidgeted. "You…don't like magic very much."

Belle closed her eyes, shame seeping into her blood. True, she didn't like magic most of the time. She'd always tried to make her home a place where it could be practiced safely, especially during Gideon's phase when Rumple would teach him spells. Yet she had drummed in her family's head that magic was for emergencies only, and even then, that there was always a better solution.

"Oh sweetheart," Belle sighed, pulling her daughter close. "I'm so sorry if I ever made you feel like you had to hide parts of yourself from me." She pulled her back and wiped away a drying tear, taking a moment to admire the mix of her and Rumpelstiltskin's features on her face.

"You are so special, Dante Colette. I am so proud of who you're becoming."

Dante smiled easily and laid her head against her mother's chest.

"Thanks mom."

Belle held her youngest close to her, feeling her husband's embrace wrap around them both after a moment.

It would seem that miscommunication was still a problem in the Gold family, and Belle could only blame tonight's events on her own lack of it with her children. She should have paused this whole night until she figured out what was bothering her daughter. Gideon would have agreed entirely.

She looked at her husband as his grip around them seemed to tighten. His expression was filled with that old guilt. He felt the same as she.

She only hoped her son was faring better.

-,-,-,-,-,-,-

Neal found Gideon in the clocktower, just as he knew he would be. The dusty space above the library had been their sanctuary for so long. It was one of the very few places that they felt truly safe.

He leaned against the doorframe and watched Gideon curl into himself on the ragged sofa they had hoisted up here when they were twelve (without magic at that).

The young man wasn't sure just what to say to him to help him feel better. There hadn't been any harm done, and it was in defense at that.

Honestly though, Neal wasn't in the mood to give a long-winded speech about hope and redemption. That was his mother's spiel, and Snow White was the last person he wanted to think about right now. He didn't want to think at all, really. He rather just…take action.

He sighed loudly, earning Gideon's attention with a start.

"Hey." He greeted wetly, wiping his eyes of buried tears. "How'd it…"

Neal shrugged. "The details kind of slipped while I was yelling at my mom. I think your mom sicked her when I left."

Gideon's lip twitched in amusement, but he was too upset to joke.

"This was a disaster."

"It was better than it could have gone," Neal smirked as he took a seat beside him. "Thanksgivings going to be far more interesting."

Gideon managed a smile. "Your mom will probably put me and my dad at the kid's table."

Neal nudged him. "He'll flick peas at her the whole night."

Gideon laughed, breaking the tension in his chest. Neal, even when he didn't mean to, always said the right things. That was the highlight of why Gideon had fallen for him.

"In all seriousness," Gideon said, leaning closer to Neal's side. "I am sorry. I wanted this to be a great night for you…for us."

"It was." Neal agreed. "Your family's fine with us, and so is my dad. My mom can either deal or back out."

Gideon hesitated before slipping his fingers between Neal's. "So we're…okay?"

Neal arched a brow, lifting their fingers to his lips. "As okay as we've ever been."

Gideon smiled thankfully, his eyes glowing with appreciation for Neal. He wondered if it would be too forward to lean in and kiss him after all that had happened tonight.

As he pondered the thought, he noticed that Neal's cheek looked much redder than the other.

"What happened?" he gasped.

Neal's expression changed at the inquiry, and he leaned in and kissed Gideon hard, much harder than the younger man would have considering after all they'd been through that night.

Gideon's heartrate began to increase as Neal's hand ran down his chest, his fingers running down the red, silky material of his tie.

"I like this color." Neal husked against Gideon's ear.

Before Gideon could comment (and thank Dante for her good taste), Neal began loosening the tie and dragging it away from his neck.

The pleasure slowly flowing through Gideon's veins suddenly froze. While this place held a lot of fun memories for them, it was the last place Gideon wanted their first time to be.

"Neal…hang on just—" he yelped when Neal suddenly pit into his pulse point. When and how he had learned that he would never know.

Neal did pull back at the sound, staring down at Gideon with glaze eyes.

"Is this okay?"

Gideon gulped, trying to muster the words that would convince Neal to either continue or wait. He'd wanted to share his feelings with him for so long but the more physical aspects had been buried in the back of his mind. He'd never been interested in sex, and the idea of it with Neal had just barely grazed his mind.

But feeling his fingers pressing into his shoulders, his eyes cloudy with excitement and another emotion couldn't quite place, Gideon couldn't find the will to say no. They would have time to discuss the handprint on his cheek and anything else they needed to in the morning. There would time for everything.

Until then, Gideon nodded his consent and breathed deeply as Neal continued his advancements once more.


End file.
